1. Technical Field
Embodiments of this invention relate to a seal that contacts a moving body provided in an image forming apparatus, a cleaning unit with the seal, a transfer unit with the seal, a developing unit with the seal, a process cartridge with the seal, an image forming apparatus with the seal, and a method of forming an image with the seal.
2. Related Art
In an image forming apparatus that employs electronic photography, multiple rotating bodies are sometimes employed to attract toner to respective surfaces thereof. To seal each of the multiple rotating bodies, a seal is provided to contact a surface of the rotating body. For example, the seal is installed around a developer bearer as a rotating body that supplies developer to a latent image formed on an image bearer. In terms of preferable sealing, it is favorable for the seal to contact the rotating body intensively. However, toner adhering to the surface and then scraped off from the developer bearer generally either scatters or melts, thereby firmly adhering to a contact section of the seal depending on the type of toner. Hence, it is difficult to strike the optimum balance between providing a good seal and preventing scattered/melted toner buildup.
To suppress such sticking of the toner to the contact section of the seal that contacts a surface of a developing roller (as a developer bearer), a prescribed sheet-like member made of different material from that of the seal is pasted onto the seal to contact the developing roller. Alternatively, properties of the seal are specifically chosen to suppress the sticking of the toner thereto.